Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria's full Schengen membership will not open the floodgates to the EU, says Interior Minister

Interim minister of the Interior Atanas Ilkov
Photo: Hristo Kasabov/ BTA

A quadripartite meeting of the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and Romania in Budapest on 22 November made it clear that Austria would lift its veto and that Bulgaria and Romania would probably become full members of Schengen from the beginning of 2025 - not only by air and sea, but also by land. "Bulgaria's full Schengen membership will not open the floodgates to the EU," interim Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov assured a briefing after his return to Bulgaria. 

Border police chief Anton Zlatanov also said that border controls would not be relaxed. On the borders with Romania and Greece, Bulgaria will use the experience of Hungary and Austria in controlling internal borders. On the border with Greece, there will be compensatory measures in the border area. There will be patrols that will carry out risk-based checks so that traffic is not hindered. 

On the border with Turkey, 100 police officers from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria will be deployed to participate in the controls.

The final decision on Bulgaria's land entry into Schengen will be taken on December 12, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said yesterday.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

A shortage of electricity is expected at the beginning of next year

According to an analysis by the Electricity System Operator, a shortage of electricity is expected as early as January and February next year. At a thematic conference organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy in Sofia, Delyan Dobrev from..

published on 11/21/24 6:09 PM

Vice President Iliana Iotova: "Because of the changes in the Constitution, MPs are unable to elect Parliamentary Speaker"

Vice President Iliana Iotova pointed out that the changed texts in the Constitution have turned against their creators.  Yotova told journalists that "because of these changes in the Constitution, the Speaker of the National Assembly cannot be..

published on 11/21/24 4:45 PM

Bulgaria is among the first in the EU in new car registrations

New car sales in Bulgaria in October increased three times more than the average for the European Union , where the purchase of new cars is only 1.1%.  According to the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, 75.9% of cars registered in..

published on 11/21/24 3:45 PM